Trawlerfest in Stuart Florida!

Back in March, Scott and I attended Trawlerfest in Stuart, FL. Trawlerfest is a big event in the PNW and we have never been before, so we thought this would give us a great opportunity to tour some trawlers. Recreational trawler boats are typically designed for long-distance cruising at a slower pace, with a focus on fuel efficiency, comfort, and safety. They are often equipped with a displacement hull, which allows them to travel at low speeds while using less fuel. As a result, they are very slow and their cruising speed is less than 10 knots, which is why we haven’t been interested in buying one.

We decided to head to Stuart, FL to check out the town and see what Trawlerfest had to offer. Stuart is less than 2 hours north of Fort Lauderdale. Trawlerfest was held on Hutchison Island, west of the city at a very small marina. Scott and I stayed at the Marriott Hutchison Island Golf Resort, so we could walk to the boat show.

Trawlerfest in Florida

When we arrived to the show, it was not what we were expecting. Remember, for the past year we have been attending major large shows like Fort Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach.

They had a simple check-in tent with a few surrounding vendors in the hotel’s parking lot. (not sure why the first few photos have a strange filter on them, making them look like they are from the 1960’s?)

The actual boat show, was only on the first dock (this photo is actually pretty old, as the other dock was ruined by a storm).

Touring the boats

Overall, there were about twelve boats to tour at the show. There were a couple of Nordic Tugs (see our most viewed video here, where Jeff lives on a 32′ tug). In addition, there was an old Californian, a new Fleming, Greenline and a Ranger Tug.

The first boat we toured was a Ranger Tug. Having never been on one, we were actually pleasantly surprised by its features. The galley offered plenty of space, a large fridge and freezer and lots of daylight.

Under the settee, you will find a pantry and the washer/dryer!

1989 48′ Californian

Next we decided to tour a 1989 Californian. This boat really reminded us of the Ponderosa we stayed on in Gig Harbor, WA back in December 2021. For 48′ this yacht had the space and feel of a 60′ yacht.

Though this was a 1989, she was in very good condition. In fact, the owners actually live aboard this yacht and it shows the love they have given her.

The salon was nice and roomy, the galley had tons of space and the master stateroom had a full walk around bed.

2016 Fleming 65′

When Scott and I first moved into our slip at Elliott Bay Marina, we became friends with our neighbors Doug and Jules who owned a 75′ Custom Delta. Jules was an avid yachter and always told us to buy a Fleming (she doesn’t know our budget! LOL). This yacht is for sale for $3,800,00. Finally, we had the opportunity to tour one and it did not disappoint.

The galley was bigger than our kitchen in our apartment! Imagine the spread you could put on this counter?

This yacht had an 11′ center console tender on the flybridge, yet there was still plenty of room up top.

2003 Nordic Tug 42/44

I have a friend who lives near Jupiter, so I texted her to see if she would be at the show (because she is in the marine business) and she replied that she was not going, but that her dad had his 42′ Nordic Tug in the show. Scott and I were talking as we walked towards the dock and I said “we need to find Sea Gypsy, that’s Katie’s dad’s boat”. Suddenly, the man in front of us, turned around and said “I’m Katie’s dad”. LOL! He and his wife are from the PNW and recently finished cruising the Great Loop. Now they are heading home and selling their tug.

For only 32′ this tug has tons of big boat space! It’s perfect for just two people.

If it had been closer to Fort Lauderdale and had a slip, we would definitely consider buying her!

That’s a wrap!

The entire show took us about an hour to tour. Since it was a smaller show, the boats tended to get pretty crowded and we didn’t feel like fighting the crowds on all of them.

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center

After the boat show, we walked about a mile to the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center. This is a 57-acre marine life nature center. When we arrived, they were feeding sting rays and we got to feed them by hand!

We then walked the nature trail to the ocean. The walk took about 15 minutes and was pretty cool. However, be sure to wear your bug spray!

There is lots of information when you reach the beach and you can continue to walk down the beach. We chose to turn around and go back.

Back at the nature center, you can walk all around the turtle sanctuary.

If you haven’t been to Stuart Florida, I will tell you it’s a very sleepy town. There’s not much to do, especially on Hutchison Island. Your only option for dining on the island is the restaurant at the Marriott or another cafe’ which was only open for lunch. It did look like a great place to play golf and just unwind. I don’t think we’ll be heading to Stuart anytime soon.

As always, thank you for following our journey! Please subscribe to our blog and our YouTube Channel (link below). Follow us on social @BoatingJourney #BoatingJourney. Soon, we’ll be heading to the Palm Beach Boat Show and then Barbados! So tune in.

Cheers, Scott and Ally